Cleaner for tobacco pipes



July 21, 1936. F. A. SCHWEINSBERGER CLEANER FOR TOBACCO PIPES Filed Feb. 28. 1935 v 4 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to tobacco pipes and has reference particularly to a pipe accommodating within its smoke passage a brush-like cleaner, which remains in position while the pipe is being smoked, and which is removable for cleaning purposes.

It has been known to use a brush-like cleaner for a pipe and to allow the same to remain within the smoke passage while the pipe is being smoked. Such an arrangement has been disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,811,205, the present invention being an improvement on the patented device.

Experience in the use of this type of pipe cleaner has shown that the effective life of the latter is greatly impaired, because the bristles, of which the brush part is formed, alone support the cleaner by contact with the wall of the smoke passage and in so doing the tips of the bristles become charred or possibly softened, whereby the cleaner is no longer capable of serving any useful purpose and must be replaced by a new unit.

With the foregoing in mind, it is the purpose of the present invention to utilize a brush cleaner having a stem of wire or other suitable material which projects beyond the end of the brush portion and is coiled or turned about upon itself to form a loop fitting the bore of the smoke passage and supporting the cleaner so that its bristles while contacting the wall of the bore are not called upon to support the unit and do not as readily become ineffective as in the construction previously described.

One embodiment of my invention is described in the specification, set forth in the appended claim and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying. drawing, in which Figure 1 is a. substantially longitudinal sectional view of a pipe showing the brush cleaner in position;

Figure 2 is a substantially transverse sectional view taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view taken on lines 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the cleaner removed from the pipe.

Referring to the drawing, the pipe comprises a bowl l and shank H, the latter having a well 12 forming part of the smoke passage, and a bit l3 with a tenon M to be inserted into the well I2 of the shank ll. Removably disposed in the well I2 is a cleaner comprising a wire core on stem l5 and radially disposed helically arranged bristles IS. The bristles l6 form a brush, cylindrical in shape and of a length slightly shorter than the portion of the well ill between the inner end 3 thereof and the free end of the tenon I 4. The stem l5 projects beyond the ends of the brush and forms a grip or handle ll at one end projecting axially of and into the smoke passage l8 of the bit I3 and. its tenon M, the opposite end 10 0f the stem projecting axially for a short distance beyond the bristles and being turned about upon itself and at a right angle to form a loop I9 which fits the bore of the well l2 and supports the inner end of the cleaner.

In practice the pipe is assembled and smoked with the cleaner remaining within the well 12. When cleaning is necessary the bit I3 is disconnected from the shank I I by withdrawing the tenon M from the well l2 and exposing the grip end I! of stem l5, which may be pulled outwardly to cause the brush or bristles I6 to follow and I with them any residue having collected in the well. The loop support 19, even in the cleaning operation, tends to keep the brush axially centered and the entire wall of the well engaged by the bristles. It is to be noted that the bristles l6 form a cylindrical body of slightly greater diameter than that of the well so as to facilitate the sweeping action against the wall and to allow for wear.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is used, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

The combination with the bowl, stem and bit of a pipe, the bit having a tenon projecting into the bore of the stem to form a chamber between the inner end wall of the bore and the end of the tenon of a cleaner unit to remain in the said chamber while the pipe is being smoked comprising a relatively stiff wire stem turned into a loop at one end to fit the bore and engage the inner end wall thereof of the pipe stem and to center and support the cleaner, radially projecting bristles mounted in the wire stem to form a cylindrical brush of greater diameter than the said chamber and disposed to abut the end of the tenon, and a grip formed by the opposite end of the wire stem projecting beyond the pipe stem and into the bit.

FRANK A. SCHWEINSBERGER. 

